Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015. Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword realtime Or view Homers posting history .) To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homers profile.

UNITED KINGDOM: Battle of Britain: West Malling and Detling airfields are attacked and Southampton is bombed without opposition in the air.
Fighter Command flies 1,175 sorties - a record.

A single raider starts a fire at Hawker’s Kingston factory, and New Cross (London) telephone exchange is also seriously damaged.

With better weather today, Bf109s and 110s operate high over Kent and London, then KG77 mounts an afternoon raid on Southampton.

The Bf110s of Erpro 210 attack the new airfield at West Malling offering the Polish pilots of 303 Squadron an opportunity they seized eagerly. Four of the 110s, including the Kommandeur, were shot down and two more crash-landed with injured crews in the Pas de Calais.

To set against this success, 607 Squadron from Tangmere was bounced by 109s over Swanage and four Spitfires shot down, all pilots surviving unhurt.

Losses: Luftwaffe, 13; RAF, 8.

London: The Lord Mayor’s Air Raid Relief fund has raised £5 million.

GERMANY: U-214 is laid down.

U-657 is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

JAPAN: Tokyo: Prime Minister, Prince Konoye, warns that war with the US is inevitable if the US goes on seeing the Axis as hostile.

Corvette HMCS SHEDIAC and corvette HMCS PICTOU are laid down at Lauzon, Province of Quebec.

Patrol craft HMCS Vison is commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: * Secretary of the Navy Knox places all Organized Reserve divisions and aviation squadrons of the Organized Reserve on short notice for call to active duty and grants authority to call fleet reservists as necessary. Before this date, Naval Reserve personnel had been ordered to active duty on a voluntary basis only.

He also denounces the Tripartite Pact.

Submarine USS GATO is laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

Following the premiere of “Knute Rockne-All American” yesterday in South Bend, Indiana, the two stars, Pat O’Brien and Ronald Reagan, attend a Notre Dame football game where Kate Smith sings “God Bless America” at halftime. (Jack McKillop)

Baseball!

5
posted on 10/05/2010 4:58:15 AM PDT
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

Battle of Britain Day 88. The weather improves, with some sunny periods, and Luftwaffe resumes bombing raids up to 150 aircraft (mainly fighters supporting smaller numbers of bombers). Between 9.30 AM and 4 PM, 4 raids cross the Straits of Dover into Kent and there are raids across the Channel towards Southampton at 1.30 PM and 5.15 PM. Luftwaffe loses 2 bombers and 20 fighters while RAF has 9 fighters shot down (only 2 pilots killed). There is again widespread bombing on a small scale overnight (including Portland Naval base which is bombed at 8.35 PM). London is heavily bombed, starting a large fire at the West India Dock on the River Thames in the East End of London.

Italian submarine Nani sinks British armed boarding trawler HMT Kingston Sapphire in the Atlantic, 20 miles South of Cadiz, Spain (3 killed, survivors rescued by a Spanish trawler and landed at Huelva, Spain). Lieutenant Commander Browne, captain of British submarine HMS Regent, uses the unusual technique of ramming to sink Italian steamer Maria Grazia in the Adriatic Sea, 10 miles off the coast of Italy near Bari. Submarine HMS Tigris attacks an Italian submarine (possibly Glauco class submersible torpedo boat Otario) without success in the Bay of Biscay.

6
posted on 10/05/2010 5:00:13 AM PDT
by Homer_J_Simpson
("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))

Following the premiere of Knute Rockne-All American yesterday in South Bend, Indiana, the two stars, Pat OBrien and Ronald Reagan, attend a Notre Dame football game where Kate Smith sings God Bless America at halftime.

Weather: Local showers in most parts, bright periods. Winds light and variable.

Day: Targets in Kent and Southampton attacked.

Night: Raids on London and East Anglian airfields.

Enemy action by day

Six attacks were made by the enemy in formations of varying size, of which four were in the South East of England, (three of them developing towards London), and two in the Portsmouth-Southampton area.

Reconnaissance activity was fairly marked in the early morning, but decreased later.

At 0930 hours a small scale attack by thirty Me109s was made on Dover from 1000 feet. Interception was effected at Maidstone and the enemy aircraft were soon recrossing the Coast.

Second Attack

At 1045 hours 150 enemy aircraft crossed the coast at or near Lympne and spread fanwise through Kent. A formation of 100 enemy fighters flew towards London, but only some ten penetrated the Inner Artillery Zone. A second formation of fifty enemy bombers remained near the Coast.

Third Attack

At 1345 hours, 120 enemy aircraft flew inland between Eastbourne and Folkestone and 70 aircraft of these continued towards London, fifty penetrating the Inner Artillery Zone and twenty getting no further than South London. Twenty aircraft cruised about in East Kent and the Estuary, while the remainder patrolled the Coastal area from Deal to Beachy Head.

Fourth Attack

At 1545 hours, twenty enemy aircraft crossed the coast at Hastings and flew towards Kenley; a split from this raid went to Tangmere and Maidstone. At the same time twenty other enemy aircraft crossed at Dungeness flying towards Biggin Hill.

Until 1630 hours strong patrols were maintained in the Straits.

Portsmouth - Southampton

First Attack

At 134 hours a raid of thirty enemy aircraft approached the Needles and flew to Southampton and inland for about 25 miles. At the same time fifty enemy aircraft crossed the coast at Swanage and flew mostly over Poole and Weymouth but some elements penetrated some 30 miles before they retired. Seven Squadrons were detailed to intercept this raid. (This attack synchronised with the Third Attack on East Kent - see above.)

Between 0645 and 0900 hours there was marked activity by single aircraft in the Straits at heights from 10,000 to 15,000 feet. Some of these flew inland and up the Estuary to Sheppey and Gravesend. In one case attacks were made at Fairlight and Hastings.

At 1245 a single aircraft attacked Dover.

There were very few reconnaissance flights in the afternoon.

Night Operations - 5th / 6th October 1940

Enemy activity although considerable, was more diluted than on the previous night.

1900 Hours to 2100 Hours

Forty enemy aircraft crossed our coasts during this period, twenty-six from Abbeville, twelve from Le Havre and two from Cherbourg areas. Practically all concentrated on London.

2100 Hours to 2300 Hours

Further raiders were plotted originating as follows:- Dutch Coast 17, Le Havre 4, Cherbourg 9, Baie Seine 10, Dieppe-Boulogne 8. The main objective continued to be London, but raids were also widespread in Essex and Cambridgeshire. Two enemy aircraft were plotted over Liverpool and minelaying was suspected in the Thames Estuary, in the Humber and off Flamborough Head.

2300 Hours to 0100 Hours

Thirty-six additional enemy aircraft entered during this period, the majority still heading for London, although Cambridgeshire and Norfolk were also widely covered.

Seventeen of these raids came from the Dutch Coast, the remainder from the usual French sources. One raider was reported burnt out near Colmworth, Beds, cause unknown.

0100 Hours to 0600 Hours

Activity continued on a similar scale until 0130, but by 0200 hours had noticeably lessened, only six enemy aircraft being then plotted inland over England.

At 0245 hours, increased effort was resumed, with about twenty enemy aircraft, operating almost entirely to the London area. Single raiders however visited Oxford, Northampton and Leicester areas. Activity then ceased, but resumed at 0350 hours on a small scale in South East England.

At 0555 hours the last enemy aircraft was reported going South from London, and no fresh raids were approaching.

It is estimated that about 200 enemy aircraft operated over or near our coasts during the night 4th / 5th October and 540 during the day of 5th October.

Balloons:

No report.

Serviceability of Aerodromes:

No report.

Organisation:

No report.

Home Security Reports

General Summary

Date: 5th October 1940

The enemy attacked with larger formations of aircraft than has been their custom during the last few days. Most of their activity was again concentrated on Kent and Sussex and some of the coastal towns that suffered on the 4th October were again bombed on the 5th. Owing to indiscriminate bombing, most of the damage was mainly confined to house property, although the railways at Gillingham and Lewes received slight damage.

In the evening, London was again the main objective and a large fire was started a the West India Dock.

Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire were also visited.

Detailed Summary

RAF Stations - 5th October 1940

Kenley: An HE bomb was dropped on the border of the aerodrome but no damage was reported.

Ford: An attack was made on the aerodrome at 2216 hours but there appears to have been little or no damage.

Factories - 5th October 1940

An HE bomb near the Tecalemit Factory at Brentford caused extensive damage to glass and frames. Production was, however, only suspended for a few hours.

Luxfer Ltd of Willesden was slightly damaged by an HE bomb but production was only affected in a very small way.

Numerous bombs were dropped on the Borax Works at Erith which caused a fire. No further details are available.

A thirty pump fire occurred at C & E Morton's Factory at Millwall but the extent of the damage is not yet known.

A fire broke out at the premises of Amos & Smith King George Dock, Hull, but this was not caused by enemy activity.

It is reported that Willesden Power Station had received a direct hit which has caused the Works to be closed for the second time in a week. Damage is feared to be extensive.

Railways

Major damage was done to the LMS yard at Cricklewood. The carriage sheds and goods siding suffered most. A signal cabin and the down line was destroyed by an HE bomb at 1025 hours at Gillingham, Kent.

At Lewes, the railways services are suspended owing to the presence of an unexploded bomb.

Elsewhere

Portland Naval Dockyard was bombed at 2035 hours, 5th October. The extent of the damage is not yet known but the telephone communications between Portland and Weymouth have been cut.

It was reported that just after midnight, 5/6th, a serious fire occurred at the West India Docks.

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